Taunton High softball shuts down KP in first meeting since ’12 postseason

Members of the Taunton High softball team have waited close to 11 months for another shot at King Philip.

By Kevin R. LaBounty

Wicked Local

By Kevin R. LaBounty

Posted Apr. 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 26, 2013 at 1:28 PM

By Kevin R. LaBounty

Posted Apr. 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 26, 2013 at 1:28 PM

TAUNTON

» Social News

Members of the Taunton High softball team have waited close to 11 months for another shot at King Philip.

The Warriors have knocked the Tigers from the postseason the past two years.

And while it was not a tournament win on Thursday, Taunton did gain an amount of revenge with a 1-0 victory over King Philip in a Hockomock League game at Jack Tripp Field.

The win improved the Tigers to 6-4 overall and 5-3 in the league.

Junior pitcher Jesse Aleixo took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, finishing with a two-hit, complete-game shutout, which included six strikeouts and no walks. The right-hander got out of a huge jam in the sixth as the Warriors put runners on second and third with one out. But a double play by the Tigers on an attempted, suicide-squeeze play by King Philip (7-2 overall, 6-2 league) ended the only hopes of the visitors scoring the entire day.

“Honestly, my goal today was just for us to win the game,” Aleixo said. “They knocked us out of the tournament two straight years and this is the first time we have faced them when it wasn’t in the playoffs. I just wanted our team to get the win, no matter how it happened. Most of my pitches were working today and I was able to hit my spots both inside and outside.”

After retiring the first two batters of the game on strikes, an error allowed Warrior pitcher Anna O’Neill to reach first base with two outs. But Aleixo retired the next batter on a pop up to Tiger first baseman MacKenzie Navarro to the end the threat and the inning.

That began a stretch of 13 straight batters that Aleixo would retire before the Warriors’ eighth and ninth place hitters reached base to start the top of the sixth. Shannon Jones got King Philip’s first hit on a grounder into left field. Kali Magane followed with a bloop single down the right-field line.

Leadoff hitter Maddie O’Grysek sacrificed both runners up a base. Ashley Hussion then put down a bunt with Tiger third baseman Giovanna Diminico looking Jones back to third base before firing a strike to MacKenzie Navarro at first. Navarro then fired a strike to catcher Alicia Pavadore, who easily put the tag on Jones in front of home plate for the final out of the inning. Aleixo retired the side 1-2-3 in the seventh to close out the victory.

“Everyone executed perfectly on that play,” Taunton head coach David Lewry said, “and that is a play that has to be executed perfectly. Jess pitched great and we were very solid on defense. The kids were definitely focused today. They were definitely into this game more than any other game so far this year. I saw their confidence in how they played.”

Page 2 of 2 - Much like the Warrior offense, the Tiger offense did not have much luck with O’Neill, who allowed just one run and three hits over six innings of work. She had seven strikeouts and one walk while hitting a batter. O’Neill retired the final nine batters she faced.

Taunton built its only run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Kailey March was hit by a pitch and was sacrificed to second by freshman second baseman Meghan Navarro. March went to the third on a passed ball and MacKenzie Navarro then blooped a ball that bounced off the right-field line for a single, which scored March with the game’s only run.

“We did a good job moving the runners we were able to get,” Lewry said. “That is the kind of thing we have to do. We have to play small ball and score one run at a time. We have to scratch for everything we get.”